Obama marks Veterans Day in Washington

Nov. 11 - After a wreath-laying ceremony to mark Veterans Day, President Barack Obama calls on Americans to support veterans with jobs. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

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U.S. President Barack Obama marks Veterans Day in Washington, D.C.
He lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
With the war in Iraq coming to a close at the end of the year and with more U.S. troops scheduled to leave Afghanistan , Obama spokes of a new era ahead.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. President Barack Obama, saying (English):
"In just a few weeks the long war in iraq will finally come to an end. Our transition in Afghanistan is moving forward. My fellow Americans, our troops are coming home."
Obama praised what he the called 9/11 generation, and called on Americans to give their support to veterans with the focus on jobs.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. President Barack Obama, saying (English):
"They have the skills and the strength to help lead the way. Our government needs their patriotism, there sense of duty. And that is why I ordered the hiring of more veterans by the federal government Our economy needs their talents and specialized skills. So I challenged our business leaders to hire 100,000 post 9/11 veterans and course over the next few years and yesterday many of these leaders joined Michelle to announce that they will meet that challenge."
The unemployment rate among veterans stands at 12.1 percent -- much higher than the national jobless rate of 9 percent.
More than 1,800 Americans solders have died in Afghanistan and close to 4,500 died in the war in Iraq.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.

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